Improved method of constructing fence-posts



- fences.. A l Y ""The nature ofv my' invention consists in UNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE,

FRANK e. JOHNSON, or

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.4

IMPRovED METHOD-0F coNvsTRucTlNe FENCE-POSTS.

' Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 16,486, dated January '27, 185'?.I

To all-whom tmc/,y concern."

Be it known that L FRANK G. JOHNSON, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of NewYork, have invented a new and -Irnproved Mode of Making and Constructing Field and other Fences; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and enactv description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked the"reon,flke letters referring to like parts.

Figuresl, 2, and 3 areperspective views,v

and Figs. 4,1, 5, and 6 transverse sections.

-The object of 'my invention consists in providing for common use and field purposes a cheap; simple, and durable fence composed ot' such materials as are generally availabie, and so constructed that any person may' makeit.

It is nowgenerally known that lime, gravel, and Cobble-stones, properly mixed together -iin the form of lmortar and s hoveled into suit! able eases or molds and allowed to set or become somewhat hardened before the efses are removed, constitute a substantial and permanent Wall, suitable even for building purposes, and which becomes harder and harder the longer it stands. The manydwellinghouses "and other buildings recently made the Walls. of which are thus composed and `constructed demonstrate the praeticabili ty of employing thesev materials'in a similar man` ner for the construction of posts in making composing the posts of. fences of the materials and in the mannerabove described, and in providingconvenient andsuitable means of inserting and keying the rails into posts thus made after they become hardened.

The nature of my invention further consists in attaching or fastening the rails te the posts in sucha manner as t-o enable me to employ in the construction of posts suitably-formed brick and mortar,` as well as gravel and lime,

and in constructing the brick in suchshape lthat they will form the post by laying up a Asinfiletier of the' brick one above another.-

. oeliable any person to make and'usemy 'inventiongl .Will proceed to describe its construction.

' I 'prov'ide a, suitable ease' or molamade .et

of which is set below the reach of frost, and into which is shoveled the mixture or mortar o f lgravel and lime. Upon two of the opposite sidesl ofthe interior of'this case or mold are suitableprojections, tenons, orribs to form sockets or mortises or grooves A A A, into which (ai'terthe posts B .B B havebecome sufficiently yhardened and the mold removed) the ends of the4 rails a a ad are to be inserted.- I also place in suitable position within the mold a longitudinal strip or core of such shape that-it cannot be removed from be drawn from the top of` the post. The object of this core is to form or leave a passage down through the post, into which isinserted a strip'of wopd C C C, which is similar from rail to rail and forms one or -both sides of each mortise for the 4purpose of forming a permanent key or lock to confine the rails in their proper position after they are once placed inthe post, which lock or key at any time may be drawn to remove the rails. It is not generally necessary to have the key or lockonly at one extremity of the rails, the yother .ends of the rails first lbeing inserted into ordinary plain mortises. The exact foriii of the key or lock'is not essential. It may be round, oval, or angular, provided it cannot be "removed from the post except by drawing it ont from 'the top. In order to employ this or `mortise ott from -the key to receive the little common mortar between them. 'Ino give the posta greater lateralstrength, I provide tenons, which are dovetail shape, or larger at the end, and upon the upper sident' each boardsor plank, open at both ends, thelbase the post after it (the post) has set, except it j in form to the`core 'and which passes downmethod of attaching the rails to the posts and at the same time to construct the body of the and every alternate one to have a side notch rails. These brick-are to be laid up' with a on the lower side of each' brick pair-of brick, I make a pair of mortises which are` in the brick.

Aand a common slope or taper. I further illuslarger at 4the/bottom than at 4the vtop and so i large at the entrance as to receive the tenons.V New, by fill-ing theseA mortises With'mortar before the tenons enter, the mortar by hardenng will iirmly key one brick to another. io prevent the brick from cracking While drying 0r seasoning, and as Well to give the post still greater l. teral strength, I mold themwi th a square hole of considerable size through the center, and when the brick are laid up ,inte a post, I ill the interior of the post 'with mortar Vor with a bar of Wood similar in size and shape to the cavity yformed by the hole To give 'the post any desired tapcr,.I give each brick its proper diameter trate this niet-hed of constructing this brick' post by referring to the accompanying drawing, designated by the "letter B at the top of the sheet.V

.'Fig. l represents a perspective view, and

Fig. 2 a perspective view of a transverse seetion, of two of the bricks. ,Y I

c a. a are the rails; C, the key or lock that holds the rails in their places; H, the central bar of Wocd'that passes down throngh-the i* center of the post; '-H, the-hole through the brick; J and J', the mortises between the brick; O, the grooveor slot that receives the key C; mand 'n areaiternate layers ofbriek;

L, the cap 'or top brick.

B y means of these methods of makingl posts v ,they maybe of any desired shape-uniform and savvedstui may be iused-jorrails-fand rendersit impossible for any animal to displace the rails, ,and obviatesthe necessity ot' renewing the post every fevv years.` 'e

donot elaimthe employment'of the mixture of lime, gravel', and cobble-stones in mak- 1 ing posts, northe moldA or ease in which-to form theposts;but

`Vihat I do claimnand desire to secure by Letters Patent, isy The post B, 'formed and constructed aspdescribed-,fin'combination with the keysfG and rails aa, as described.

Witnesses:

PETER C. BELL, S. A. BEERS.

FRANK@ JOHNSON. y 

